Derek Williams: Coming At You From Queens

April 21, 2006 - The southern portion of Queens, NY, better known as that burrough’s Jamaica section, is a residential section of New York known for both the good and the bad of city living - as most urban neighborhoods are. Products such as 50 Cent, Lamar Odom, and Rafer Alston call this section of Queens County home, and are all making a national impact in either music, or hoops. Soon, Derek Williams may be the next in line to be heard from on the hardwood.

Standing 6 foot 1 inches and weighing 175 pounds, Derek is a senior combo guard who recently completed a successful season at Genesis One Prep, in Mendenhall, MS. His AAU coach, J.R. Rembert, leader south Queens-based AAU program New York Skyriders, shared Derek’s statistical output this season as “12 points, six assists, and three steals”, which helped the school achieve a 25-12 record.

On the court, Williams is a scoring combo guard, adept at attacking the rim, or shooting jump shots. Additionally, as Rembert said “He doesn’t force shots” if a good one is not present. In sum, his AAU coach correctly labeled the young guy “a smart offensive player”.

That ability to fill up the basket in a multitude of ways was evident during the Charlie Weber Easter Hoops Fest, where he routinely scored from all over the court. One game that stood out was a game against AAU powerhouse Philadelphia Lutheran. Williams dropped 15 points despite playing only a half of ball.

This is all from a player who has only really played high level AAU and/or high school hoops for the last two years. Prior to that, Derek attended high school in New York, but as Rembert relayed “was losing determination”. I told him I’d help him” he said, and “has been working with him ever since”.

Part of that development includes focusing on improving William’s point guard instincts and skills. According to Rembert, this includes “getting teammates involved…and doing what every guard in America needs to do – play better defense”.

Based on his exploits at Genesis One, Derek shared he is being recruited by “FAU (Florida Atlantic University), USC, and Fordham University”, while “Weber State has offered me”. Rembert added “Southern Illinois, VCU, GW, and Ole Miss” as additional suitors for Williams. Wherever he ends up, the school can expect Derek to perform whatever duty is necessary for success, as he stated, “I’m going to do whatever my team needs to win”, whether that be scoring, passing, defending or leading a team.

Presently, Derek has no leader in his recruitment. “I’m open to whatever school is going to help me follow my career” he revealed. Proximity to the Big Apple is not an issue, since his experience at Genesis One has made location a non-issue.

Check back with i95Ballerz.com for an update on Williams’ recruitment. It’s bound to jump off, given the young guy’s skill set and penchant for hard work. When asked to describe what it takes to constantly improve in hoops, Derek said “It’s hard. It’s takes a lot of practice. My coach always tells me ‘Whatever you practice, shows up on the basketball court”. Clearly Derek Williams has been putting in work.